1974 Honda CT70 Trail

The CT70 is how America learned to ride. Honda's genius was making a motorcycle that was small enough to be non-threatening, cheap enough to be impulse-buyable, and reliable enough to survive novice abuse. Parents bought them for kids.

Adults discovered they were actually fun. The CT70 created generations of motorcyclists by proving that two wheels weren't scary — they were joy. More people's first motorcycle memories involve a CT70 than any other bike.

CT70s were toys, which means they got abused and neglected. Survivors with original paint show the scars of childhood: scratches from drops, faded tanks from sun exposure, worn seats from endless rides.

This is the good kind of patina — evidence of joy rather than neglect. Restored CT70s are nice, but an original with decades of adventure marks tells a story.

Honda parts support is legendary, and the CT70 community is enormous. Reproduction parts are available for almost everything, though quality varies. The engine is so simple a teenager can rebuild it, which was kind of the point.

These bikes are easy to work on, cheap to maintain, and nearly impossible to kill through normal use. Daily transport? No, but perfect for putting around neighborhoods and trails.